JOHOR BARU: Perikatan Nasional hopes that the "wave" in the north of the country will continue to sweep to the south, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Perikatan chairman said winning 147 out of the 245 seats in the recently concluded elections in six states showed that the people were ready for a change.

"This wave... we do not need to give it a colour but it is a referendum of the people's dissatisfaction towards the government.

"So in the upcoming Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections, we hope that this wave will enter Johor too," he said before announcing Perikatan's candidates for the two seats here on Wednesday (Aug 23).

The two seats were vacated following the death of Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub on July 23, who was the Pulai MP and Simpang Jeram assemblyman as well as domestic trade and cost of living minister.

On Aug 19, Amanah president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu announced that former Johor state assembly speaker Suhaizan Kaiat, 50, is set to contest the Pulai seat and that Bakri Amanah deputy chief Nazri Abdul Rahma, 56, would contest the Simpang Jeram seat.